Provisional Licence Learner Drivers Can Carry Passengers

Here in the UK, there are no DVSA restrictions that stops a provisional licence learner from carrying passengers while driving in a car including Kids when learning to drive, or practising in preparation for the driving test.

Here are the terms and conditions that apply to a provisional licence holder in the UK.

1. You are not allowed to drive a car alone, you must be supervised by a full licence holder in the category of vehicle (automatic can not supervise in a manual) who has held it for at least 3 years.

2. You must display regulation sized L plates on your vehicle while driving, if you cut L plates yourself, you could be breaking the law.



3. You are not allowed to drive on the motorway with a provisional licence, this includes full automatic privileges using a manual transmission car (display 'L' plates on a motorway is not an offence if you hold a full licence, though you might be stopped by the police).

So feel free to carry passengers with your provisional licence, but do bear in mind that you have a responsibility towards the people in the car, and that your vehicle will handle differently with a full load compared to just you and instructor. You should also not exceed the maximum allowed passengers for the car you are driving, and make sure all children under the age of 14 are wearing seat belts or in a proper child seat or restrainer.



I would also advice to be careful about having young children in the car as a learner, they could be a distraction, and hinder the learning process, so you need to ask your instructor if it is okay to bring a baby, toddler on a lesson (even if you have an appropriate car seat, I have had a few well-behaved babies and toddlers accompany my learner drivers).

Finally having your mates in the car could have a negative effect during private practice if they encourage you to flout the rules or ignore speed limits etc. As always make sure your insurance is up to date and you are making your monthly payments to ensure you are covered for any 3rd party liabilities

For more information, see also my provisional licence law article, as it is YOUR responsibility to know the regulations covering the conditions of your licence.



More reading
Independent driving on the test October 2010.
Driving instructor issues,

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